Israel Supreme Court bans digital voter monitoring by political parties

The Supreme Court of Israel has prohibited polling station officials and party-appointed observers from using digital tools to count voters and transmit real-time data to political organizations. The ruling, decided by a two-to-one vote, overturns a previous authorization by Dean Livne, the interim director of the Central Elections Committee.

The decision follows allegations that the Likud party developed a mobile application to allow representatives at polling stations to collect specific voter identity information and send it directly to campaign teams. Such practices were flagged as potential violations of Israeli electoral law.

The Democratic Guard of Israel, which brought the petition, welcomed the ruling, stating that election officials must remain politically neutral and that polling stations should not function as data collection centers for political campaigns. This legal development occurs ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27, 2026.